Ciao to everybody, my dear friends!Today, I will introduce you the fantastic Oahu island in the very famous Hawaii. An archipelago known all over the world that evokes white beaches and cristalline waters, musics played with the ukulele, a Nature pristine and wild. Oahu is all of this but also more. If you are expecting the typical island where the Nature reigns supreme, you could be disappointed.

There are a lot of places that are intacts and untouched, but, being a United State's island, the skyscrapers and the malls are very present.

Despite this, I loved a lot this place, cheerful and interesting, a races's and contraddictions's melting pot.

When I went out from the airplane I was immediately striked from a light's and colors's explosion.

A nonstop flow of images, perfumes, chromatic redundancy that suddenly floods over and almost gives you

dizzy spells. An emotions's overdose that will be always with you during the stay in Hawaii.

Here you can live a lot of experiences. Swimming with the turtles in secluded beaches. Having a sun bath in a crowded foreshore like in the Romagna's coast. Hiking in a wild and almost pristine Nature. Admiring an It bag in a luxury shop window in Kalakaua avenue in Waikiki. Following the kamikaze surfers's rush performances in Banzai Pipeline. Having a Brunello di Montalcino's wine in a chic restaurant in Waikiki.

This mix of contraddictions is the Oahu's appeal.

For our visit we will leave from the legendary Waikiki. It is plenty of skyscrapers and malls but it is animated by a holiday and cosmopolitan spirit. A walk to admire the luxury shops is obligatory. A good dinner in an ethnic restaurant too.

The beach is disappointing, the reef is damaged or nonexistent and the crowd unbearable. It's better to rent

a car and to head to the east coast that reserves a splendid places's carnet.

A place that you can't miss is Hanauma Bay, a submerged volcano's crater, became a favourite place for a multitude of colored fishes. It is a park, you have to spend 8$ to enter and to arrive very early because the access is limited, but the wonderful snorkelling will compensate for the early get up.

Going to east, we will find the Waimanalo beach, wild and full of local people, with a fantastic sea. Immediately after, the legendary Kailua, famous for the surf and the windsurf. Here, Waikiki seems to be far away. No skyscrapers but only little wood buildings with at maximum two floors. Few kilometers further on, Lanikai beach, marvellous and cristalline sea and the idylliac Mokulua islands in front.

But the beach that impressed me more was Waimea, in the north shore. I was here during the summer, the water was very smooth and ideal for the snorkelling. During the winter time it seems to be another place. There are monster waves, as in Sunset beach and Banzai Pipeline, extreme's surf destinations. In Waimea I swimed with two giant turtles used to the human presence. It was fantastic to follow them.. A touching emotion.

Don't miss Diamond Head. It's a tuff cone and crater formed by a violent steam explosion, not far from Waikiki. From the top, a wonderful panorama can be admired. Another place not to be missed is the Pearl Harbour's naval base. Here, the 7 of december 1941 the Arizona battleship was sunk from the japanese bombers. You absolutely have to visit the museum and the floating monument. A piece of History that couldn't be forgotten.

Dear Mariana, you can't believe how happy you made me with this post about Hawaii. I was in Oahu just 10 years ago. I studied in a American school during to 2 years and I went with my host family. It was the time of my life. Even more, that 2 weeks ago, one of my host sisters, just got married in Hawaii, but in a diferent island.Thanks yo again, for taking me back 10 years and made me remeber those amazing days.

Hi Marina!I've been to Hawaii last summer and it's a real paradise!I was in Oahu and Kauai.... Now, I want to go back and visit Big Island and Maui too!!!!Just loved it! I would love to live there! Gorgeous weather, nice people, incredible landscapes.... Simply perfect!